YOUR LOOK
BEFORE bodyshaping
By Dr. Ronald Bergman
Stop Being
So Nosey
With so much focus on our eyes
and mouths, people often forget
how important a nose can be to a
person’s self-esteem and conﬁdence
AFTER hen compared to other facial features that are
regularly described as “the windows to the soul”
or as being “the color of roses”, the nose holds a
much less glamorous place in the beauty hierar-
chy. Schnozzle, snout, beak and bill are only a
few of the unbecoming pet names the nose has garnered. Howev-
er, as the center point for the face’s architecture, the importance of
the nose cannot be underestimated. It is the ﬁrst feature that most
of us look at when we take in someone’s face and one of the fea-
tures that can most dramatically disrupt the alignment of the face.
While it may not inspire poetry, the humble nose is the foundation
of our appearance.
W WHO GETS NOSE RESHAPING SURGERY?
According to the American Society of Plastic Surgeons, nose
reshaping, or rhinoplasty, is the second most common type of cos-
metic plastic surgery in the U.S., following breast augmentation. In
2011, 244,000 people underwent rhinoplasty to change the shapes
of their noses. Reasons for having the surgery vary. Some people
are unhappy with the noses they were born with, while some have
seen their noses change with age. Others seek the surgery for med-
ical reasons or due to injuries.
Because the nose is so prominent, when someone is dissatisﬁed
with its appearance, he or she is likely to feel less conﬁdent. This
may be especially problematic for women competing in events who
need to be poised and self-possessed. Feelings of low self-esteem
can be inhibitive and overwhelming and should be taken serious-
ly. If you suffer from these feelings, be sure to discuss them with
your plastic surgeon.
152 PAGEANTRY
ON THE NOSE: Singer Ashlee Simpson insists she did not hate her image before under-
going a rhinoplasty operation to correct her misshapen nose in 2006. In a recent interview
Ashlee admitted, “(Plastic surgery) is something that everybody should think about for a re-
ally long time. Once you know it's something you really feel comfortable with, then to each
their own.” She continued, “I was never really unhappy with how I looked, (and) I don't think
I am more beautiful than I was (before). I just see the same old goofy girl I see every day.”